The primary sources of the Smithsonian document the history of art, culture, music, design, flight, space exploration, science and technology, landscapes and gardens, and native cultures in the United States, as well as the long history of the Smithsonian itself.

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Finding Aids

Archival finding aids, also sometimes called collection guides, are the key to unlocking information in SOVA. Each unique archival collection has a finding aid that provides the user with varying levels of descriptive detail about the collection, such as creator, biographical or historical note, content, subjects, names, forms of materials, how the collection is arranged, the context in which the collection was created, related collections in individual repositories and across the Smithsonian, provenance, where the collection is housed, and how to access the collection. Digitized content from each collection is also accessed via links provided in the collection's finding aid.

Finding aids are essential research and discovery tools that will help you understand the content and context of an individual collection and whether that collection will satisfy your research needs.

Maxey, H. David
Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History

Dates:

1939-1999

Size:

8 cubic feet

Collection ID:

NMAH.AC.0417

Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

The Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project, conducted by H. David Maxey from 1986 through 2002, created a collection of archival materials documenting the history and development of speech synthesis technology. Maxey collaborated with Dr. Bernard Finn, Elliot Sivowitch and Harold Wallace of the National Museum of American History's Division of Information, Technology, and Society.

Found In

The Frank K. M. Rehn Galleries records measure 21.8 linear feet and are dated 1858-1969 (bulk 1919-1968). The records consist mainly of business correspondence with collectors, artists, museums and arts organizations, colleagues, and others. A small amount of Frank K. M. Rehns personal correspondence and a few stray personal papers of individual artists are interfiled. Also included are financial records, scrapbooks, printed matter, miscellaneous records, and photographs documenting most of the history of a highly regarded New York City art gallery devoted to American painting.

Found In

National Museum of American History Division of the History of Technology

Dates:

1839-2001

Size:

3 cu. ft. (3 record storage boxes)

Collection ID:

Accession 16-342

Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

This accession consists of records primarily created by Carl W. Mitman during his tenure as Curator of the Division of Mechanical Technology, 1921-1932, and Head Curator
of the Department of Arts and Industries, 1932-1948, United States National Museum. These files create a biographical sketch of a multitude of engineers, inventors, and indust...